


Etched

by svtseasons



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Names, Soul Bond, namedverse, seoksoon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2019-10-04 01:39:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17295242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svtseasons/pseuds/svtseasons
Summary: Soulmates have each others' name etched onto their skin. A sacred name bond must be consummated in marriage. Otherwise, the two partners of the bond are cursed to die before reaching 25.Soonyoung, a commoner, becomes betrothed to Prince Dokyeom as his sacred bond. But he harbors a deep secret and is terrified that the kind Prince will find out...





	1. It All Happened So Quickly

Soonyoung had just turned 13 years old when the name first appeared on his left buttock.

He remembered peering at the bathroom mirror curiously, unable to turn his body in an angle where he could read the name. He remembered his mother’s face turning pale as she checked his body after he told her what he saw. He remembered the urgency in the hushed whispers of his parents and his father urging him never to share this discovery with anyone, not even his own sister. The fear in his father’s eyes made Soonyoung nod solemnly. 

Soonyoung had been careful about changing in front of others or getting into the lake for a quick dip. But for the most part, the mark was so small and out of the way that he hardly even remembered that it was there. Once in a while, he was curious about what exactly was written on his body, but the memory of his now-deceased mother looking scared deterred him from actually looking closely. 

He had forgotten all about it until the summer he turned 18. 

“Young-ah, come quickly!”

Soonyoung was working intently on copying the manuscript at his father’s work table when he heard his father’s urgent voice. 

“What is it, Father?”

“Come, come and bring that sack of silver with you.”

Soonyoung put his cloak on and grabbed the sack from the cabinet. It was full of coins his family had stored away for a rainy day. 

“Where are we going, Father?” Soonyoung asked as they rushed through the center of the town, past all of the vendors sitting out in the open for market. His father hushed him. “Don’t ask more questions, my child. We are going to have you matched up soon.” Soonyoung stopped speaking, but his heart leaped at what his father had said. For five long years, he had been wondering and waiting for the person whose name was engraved on his body. Even though he was afraid to take a peek at it, he daydreamed about finding a beautiful wife, one who was destined in an eternal bond with him. One who would never make him feel small or abandoned. 

They arrived at the seedy part of the town. Soonyoung’s father turned into an alley and threw back the doors of a darkly-lit hut in the corner, far away from the main road they had been walking on. 

“Jang!” Soonyoung’s father barked. To Soonyoung’s dismay, Jang was not a beautiful woman but a scraggly, middle-aged man who smelt like he hadn’t taken a bath for months. Soonyoung grimaced as the man peered at his face. 

“I trust you will be discreet about this?” whispered Soonyoung’s father to the man as he handed over the sack of silver. The man laughed and nodded as he counted the coins with his long fingers. “Obviously, it would be my own head on the line, too, wouldn’t it be?”

The man finished counting and signaled something to Soonyoung’s father. Before Soonyoung could register what was happening, his father began stripping him down. He could hardly yell in protest before the strange man put a gag over his mouth and a blindfold over the eyes. Soonyoung heard the crackle of fire, a sizzle, and sharp clanging noise. 

“Sorry, love, this will hurt a lot.”

Feeling something touch his left buttock, Soonyoung screamed out as he felt the worst pain he had ever felt in his life. Then, darkness. 

\--------

When he woke up in his bed a few days later, his father had explained to him that the surgery went successfully and that in a few weeks, he should be able to go up to the palace to greet the prince. 

Soonyoung slowly pieced together all of the information from what his father had told him and what his sister had heard also.

Although it wasn’t completely uncommon, a mark of a name on a body meant that you were destined to be in a sacred bond with that person. Even if one person from that pair was a part of the royal family and the other was a slave, they must consummate a marriage. Otherwise, both were destined to sudden waning of health and eventual death around 25. (Soonyoung had always assumed, from his parents’ reactions, that the name of his fated bond was in a foreign language or of someone who was already dead) 

So when Soonyoung’s father heard from the baker-- whose son works as a guard at the palace-- that one of the king’s sons had so suddenly developed a mark inscribed “Soonyoung”, he decided to act on it. He found a specialist who was able to remove the mark and replace it with a new tattoo. 

Soonyoung cried in anguish as he realized in horror what his father had done. Because these name bonds were so sacred, if people were to find out that his father had done this to Soonyoung, his whole family could be killed. 

“Don’t cry, Soonyoung,” his father smoothed Soonyoung’s hair, “you must look good in front of the King’s court tomorrow.”

\-----

The next few days were a blur.

Soonyoung felt empty inside, like s huge chunk of who he was had left him. His face was blank as his father presented him to the King’s court. His mind was elsewhere as people clapped for him. He was grieving the life that he could have had, the happiness that could have been true if not for his father’s greed. Most importantly, he could not bear to see the Prince’s face.

“Hello, my name is Dokyeom.”

Prince Dokyeom was handsome. In fact, Soonyoung was briefly taken aback after realizing that this was the prince that he would be married to. The royal family was notorious for not being the most aesthetically pleasing after years of inbreeding with other royal bloodlines, but Dokyeom had defied those expectations. Most importantly, his smile to Soonyoung was so warm and open. Soonyoung felt a pang of guilt as he bowed to the prince. 

“Of course, you do not need to tell me your name, my Betrothed. I am only sorry that my mark did not appear until recently. You must have been waiting anxiously.”

Dumbfounded, Soonyoung glanced back at the Prince. Soonyoung wanted to tell him. He wanted to scream-- I am an imposter! I am not who you are looking for. But Soonyoung couldn’t. The fear was starting to sink in. And now, guilt was being added to that load. He was guilty-- guilty for not finding his own partner and guilty for ruining the Prince’s chance of finding his. 

Frozen in that spot, Soonyoung was jolted back to reality as the other princes of the kingdom came by to surround the two newly betrothed. And certainly, it was hard to believe that they all shared the same father as Dokyeom as they were classically royal in appearance-- that is to say, a bit mousy-looking and pasty white.

“Brother,” one of them-- probably the oldest of the bunch-- sneered, “how unfortunate it is! Father thought that it was so special that you had a mark of a sacred bond, but who knew it wouldn’t be a beautiful princess but a lowly commoner? And a boy, to add! What a shame. There are so many beautiful women out there who would have loved to please you.” Soonyoung’s face turned hot red at the comment. He could not say anything to that because it was true. He was not beautiful. His eyes were sharp and too beady. His cheeks stuck out to the sides. His lips looked rough from years of licking and biting. 

“No,” Prince Dokyeom replied to them quietly but firmly, “I think my Betrothed is more beautiful. In fact, he is far more beautiful than any of the princesses that I’ve ever seen. So you are free to pursue after those princesses, my brother. I will be more than happy with my Betrothed.” The other princes just barked in a mocking laughter and left the room. But Soonyoung bit back the tears and the crippling pain of guilt in deceiving the kind Prince Dokyeom.


	2. The Ceremony

“Right this way, Sire,”

The ladies dressed in black and maroon robes ushered Soonyoung off to yet another place. What now? Soonyoung was already tired from all of the lessons he had to have about what to do and what not to do. All he had understood from the hours of being taught by the best masters of the land was that as long as he sat there doing nothing but breathing, he would have no problem keeping all of the royal etiquettes. Even after the wedding tomorrow, he learned in dismay, he would have to continue with these lessons.

Soonyoung and a half dozen of the handmaiden ladies arrived in a darkly lit room. The dripping sound of the water and the warm steam looked inviting to Soonyoung. He sighed a breath of relief. No more lessons, just some time to bathe. 

“Why are you all still standing here?”

He looked around at the ladies. They looked at each other with a discomfort in their expressions, hesitating. Finally, Cheonga, the one who had been the most helpful in leading him through this strange palace, answered.

“Sire, the royal marriage tradition dictates that the Prince or Princess Consort must be bathed by the handmaidens and not made to touch the dirtied body.”

“What?” asked Soonyoung incredulously. 

“Sire, please open your arms so we may disrobe you.”

“No.”

“Sire--”

“No! Absolutely not.” But even as Soonyoung screamed, the handmaiden surrounded him. Soonyoung tried to put up a fight, but his body was already fatigued from the day and he could not fight off six strong young women. As his clothes were being stripped away, Soonyoung had a horrible feeling of dread wash over him. He was transported back to the dark alley, the pain of the knife on his skin, the terror. He wanted to scream and run away, but he could not. Feeling the blood drain to the bottom of the floor, Soonyoung succumbed his mind to darkness. 

He woke up with the smoothness of the luxurious silk against his skin. As he opened his eyes, Soonyoung sensed that he was in his new bed in his new room. The soft crackles from the fireplace filled the room. The room was dimly lit, Soonyoung noted. It must already be night.   
As he pushed the covers off from under his chin, Soonyoung was startled by the presence of someone in his room. He froze and peered towards the direction of the sound. It was Prince Dokyeom, with his warm winsome smile, approaching Soonyoung’s bed. 

“Have you slept well, my Betrothed?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“You must have been very tired.”

Soonyoung kept quiet. He didn’t want the Prince to know the reason why he had fainted. Even now, as he felt safe and tucked in, he felt a shiver run up his spine thinking about all those hands on his body. He started playing with the lace corners of the thick duvet that was covering him. Prince Dokyeom sat down at the foot of the bed, peering. They sat in silence for a bit. 

“I just want you to know that I do not want to force you into this,” Dokyeom finally spoke gently, “I think everyone here was just so shocked when I presented with the mark at such a late age. My father was overjoyed to hear that a prospective match had shown up. I was too, of course. But I realized that we never sought your opinion on the matter. Even if we do not wed…”

Dokyeom’s though drifted off in a hesitancy Soonyoung understood. A fated bond was not something to be taken lightly. There was a threat of death hanging over you the moment the mark appears. Soonyoung had heard tales of young men and women dying because they were unable to find their bond in the end. This was why he felt even a deeper pang of guilt as he watched the kind Prince. He had thought about giving up the farce and admitting the truth numerous times since he entered the palace. But then Soonyoung’s mind conjured up images of his father and his sister dying gruesomely at the hand of the angry King. 

Soonyoung winced at the thought again. 

Prince Dokyeom turned slowly to him. “I cannot make a promise that we will be in love with each other in marriage, as commoners do. But I can promise you that I will care for you and be loyal to you. Can you say the same?”

“Yes, my Prince,” Soonyoung choked out in a whisper, knowing fully well that he will disappoint the Prince one day, perhaps when it is too late for either of them to find their true sacred bonds. He tried to smile at Prince Dokyeom, ignoring the churning of his stomach. 

\----

The royal wedding was a huge formality, but fortunately, Soonyoung merely had to follow what Cheonga told him and look pretty for the crowd. As the traditional garments and headdresses and jewelry and make-up was put on him, however, Soonyoung began to realize that looking pretty was a lot more of work than he had expected. 

“Must this be pulled so tight, Cheonga?” Soonyoung asked the handmaiden, who was now preparing some other red coral mixture to put on his already powdered face. He had lost a lot of weight from the exhausting lessons and nights of crying in terror, but he was still a man and the traditional garments of royal weddings were fitted for a female silhouette. Cheonga laughed at the pouting soon-to-be Prince Consort.

A few pats later, Cheonga stepped back in satisfaction and the other handmaidens cooed around Soonyoung. “Look, Sire,” one of them exclaimed, “look at how beautiful you are!” Bashfully, Soonyoung rose up and stepped in front of the long mirror. 

His already-pale skin was made fairer by a thin layer of fine powder. His eyes were adorned with an intricate black and red curves that formed a fine pattern. His cheeks and lips were subtly rosy, like a wildflower that blooms in the summer. The red dress robe, which had a golden sash, was as breathtaking as the physical pain it was causing Soonyoung. His golden headdress was dotted with diamonds, twinkling with brilliant iridescence. Involuntarily, he gasped at the figure in the mirror, which did not feel like himself. 

Always diligent in helping his father with the arduous labor of transferring and writing manuscripts, Soonyoung had been fascinated by the colors of the inks that adorned the elaborate letters on paper sometimes. But the clothes and the jewelry he was wearing today was more brilliant and vivid than any of the colors he had encountered in those books. As he turned and twisted his body, he delighted in the wonderous stares and gasps from the young handmaidens. For a moment, he became excited for the ceremony to follow, at how colorful and brilliant the royal hall would look, how every eye in the court would be shining towards him. And especially the handsome Prince, who would be standing tall on the other side, smiling just as brilliantly as the diamonds on Soonyoung’s headdress. 

And then Soonyoung remembered what his father had done and how he had lied to Prince Dokyeom just last night. 

As the handmaidens fluttered around him, smoothing over the garment, fixing every little bit of hair poking out, just ooh-ahhing over everything, Soonyoung tried to hide his deep sadness from them. 

\----  
When he entered the decorated hall, Soonyoung’s eyes first fell onto his father, who was grinning proudly at him from the seats. His sister waved excitedly at him and he almost waved back before being reminded by Cheonga to keep decorum. Stomach churning, Soonyoung did not know whether to attribute this nausea to the jitters of the wedding ceremony or the deception that had led him here. 

“You must cover your face, Your Highness.” Cheonga hissed at him, helping Soonyoung duck lower so that the sleeves of the robe would hide his face entirely. Carefully, he took a step forward, letting the handmaidens lead him. When they stopped, he knew that he was now in front of the Prince. The entire room seemed to be bustling with whispers, jealous royal girls gossiping about Soonyoung’s common background and people questioning whether Soonyoung would be fitted for a life in the palace. Soonyoung felt his head suddenly turn white in panic. The ringing in his ear became overwhelming. What was he doing here? He should have told the truth a long time ago. At any moment, someone would burst in and expose him as a fraud. He felt his arms start to shake. And then--

“Soonyoung.”

He heard a low throaty whisper of Prince Dokyeom and it was as if a fog in his brain had cleared up. Soonyoung felt a sudden peace. He raised his head slowly as Cheonga helped lower his arms. 

Prince Dokyeom was dressed in a simpler white robe adorned with cream embroidery pattern. It contrasted nicely with his slightly tan skin. The tall headdress seemed to illuminate the Prince’s handsome face even more, accentuating the angular jaws and his pointed nose. Soonyoung looked curiously at Prince Dokyeom’s expression. His brows were raised and his mouth slightly agape. Soonyoung couldn’t help but stare back at the Prince, unable to tell if he was pleased or disappointed. 

They went through the ceremony, step by step. Soonyoung started to blush because he noticed that Prince Dokyeom was staring at him intently. Although Soonyoung did his best to try to focus on what was going on, the intense stare made him spill some of the ceremonial tea on his robe, causing a wave of snickers from the line of the other princes in the back. But even then, Prince Dokyeom did not break his gaze. 

After the high priest proclaimed the marriage, Soonyoung sighed in relief as the royal court clapped and cheered. 

“What happens now?” Soonyoung whispered to Cheonga, who was still standing beside him. 

“Now, the Prince and the Prince Consort will retire to the prepared room.”

\---

The handmaidens shut the door behind them. 

Soonyoun gulped. As soon as the ceremony was over, he and Prince Dokyeom were whisked away. He tried to protest-- weren’t there elders of the court to greet? Family members to say hello to? But his protests fell deaf on the handmaidens’ ears. And so, the newly wedded couple were shoved into this room, prepared with lit candles all around and a vat of steaming bath on the side. 

“Would you like me to help you with the headdress, my Be-- I mean, Prince Consort?”

Soonyoung blushed and nodded. His neck was starting to ache. He felt the flushing warmth of his own face as Prince Dokyeom came close to him and started pulling out the hundreds of pins that the handmaidens have managed to stick into Soonyoung’s hair. Feeling the tickle of Prince Dokyeom’s breath, Soonyoung prayed that his body would not start squirming immediately. 

“And would you mind taking off mine, Soonyoung?”

At the gentle request, Soonyoung nodded yet again. Prince Dokyeom was closing his eyes. Soonyoung stood on his knees to reach the headdress. He couldn’t help but notice how different the Prince was compared to him, the clear sharp lines of his face and the soft but strong energy flowing out. Soonyoung’s face, on the other hand, was smooth, plump, and round most of the year although his expressions were often sharp. He noticed that the prince had bit his lower lips recently and there was a small mole on the left side of the Prince’s face. As Soonyoung’s hand hesitated, the Prince opened his eyes. Soonyoung couldn’t help but look into the soft brown eyes. His face burned again as he forced his hands to go back to freeing the Prince from the damned headdress. 

As Soonyoung sat back down, another moment of awkward silence passed. Finally, the prince opened his mouth. 

“Would you like to wash up first or should I?”

Soonyoung blushed. He didn’t know what to say. He was terrified of undressing in front of the Prince. 

“Very well, I will go first, then. Please, relax on that bed instead of sitting here on the hard floor.”

As he sat on the bed, Soonyoung immediately regretted his decision. From the bed, he had a clear view of the Prince undressing and getting into the bath. The Prince had a naturally statuesque build with slight dimples from toned muscles. It was different than what Soonyoung had expected of a royalty, sitting at the royal court and feasting on all kinds of rich foods all day. It made him feel confused, even envious at the Prince. How dare he have such handsome figure too when he was so kind and good-looking to begin with?

The Prince finished bathing as Soonyoung tried his hardest to distract himself from the awkwardness of the situation. Then, he saw it. As Prince Dokyeom wrapped his robe around his waist, Soonyoung saw a peek of the left chest. Right underneath the left clavicle of Prince Dokyeom’s torso, Soonyoung saw his name printed in simple letters. He felt another pang of guilt. 

“Your turn, my sweet.”

Soonyoung knew that even if Dokyeom was to see his bare body, he would only see the false tattoo. The job had been done flawlessly, his father assured. And at night, Soonyoung often brushed over that spot hoping to find some scar or malformation that would resolve him of his duty in this sham. But he always found it smooth and without a trace of who he really was. Trembling, Soonyoung went all the way to the corner of the bath and undressed quickly, hoping that the Prince was not paying too much attention. He washed in a hurry and dressed into the sleeping robe quickly. 

Shivering, Soonyoung went back to the tall bed. Some of the candles were beginning to burn out. The room had become darker as a result, and Soonyoung could barely see the Prince’s face in the last flickers of the flames. He jerked his arm and gasped when he felt Dokyeom’s warm hand touch him. Immediately, Soonyoung blushed out of embarrassment. Of course. This was a part of the matrimony. He had been drilled on it for days. The touching, the kissing, the love making. After all, the search for the Prince’s bond was to culminate in this consummation, when both partners would become freed from the curse of death. 

Except, Soonyoung knew, neither the Prince nor himself would be free at all. 

“We do not have to, you know…” Prince Dokyeom cleared his throat, “Not until you feel ready. I understand, this came quite suddenly. We can just sleep tonight.”

“Yes,” Soonyoung choked out, “I would like that.”

He felt the Prince’s hand retreat from the side. Soonyoung was torn. On one hand, he was shaken and not prepared for what this deception will lead to. On the other hand, he did not want Prince Dokyeom to blame himself. He wouldn’t be able to fall asleep easily knowing the the good Prince will worry over him. 

“My lord, could… Would you come hold me? I am feeling a bit cold.”

Soonyoung shrank back at the pause that followed. Then, he heard Prince Dokyeom rustle and move closer to him. 

“Of course, my Prince Consort. Here, come lay on my arm.”

It was a stupid excuse. Soonyoung did not get cold easily at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite. From a young age, he was prone to overheating and sweating whenever he did anything. His sister used to cuddle up next to him on cold winter nights, declaring that sleeping next to Soonyoung generated more warmth than sitting right in front of the fireplace. But as he rested against Prince Dokyeom, he felt a gentle coolness of the man’s body. Unknowingly, Soonyoung let out a groan of approval as he found the position comfortable. The day’s fatigue was starting to get to him, all of the tension slowly releasing. He might have the best night’s sleep he’s had in a long, long time. 

As he drifted off to sleep, Soonyoung thought he felt the brush of the Prince’s lips on his hair.


	3. Blooming

Soonyoung never thought his first day as an official part of the royal family would begin off with the sight of the handmaidens ripping open the curtains and cleaning melted candles off of the floor. He blushed at indulging in such deep sleep while they woke up so early, already washed and dressed for the day’s work. He blushed even more deeply when he realized that Prince Dokyeom’s arm was still wrapped around him, the comforting coolness resting flat against Soonyoung. 

“Your Highness, Prince Consort-- you must get dressed and ready to visit the King.”

Unable to recover from the horror of what this all must look like, Soonyoung froze again. But Prince Dokyeom sat up and stretched, yawning loudly. The gentle Prince prodded Soonyoung to sit up and his long slender fingers brushed past Soonyoung’s hair, stroking and coaxing Soonyoung into wakefulness. The handmaidens had a folding divider open so that the Prince could change behind it while they flocked over Soonyoung and put a dress robe that felt almost as tight and restricting as the one that had been used for the wedding ceremony. 

After Cheonga gave up trying to comb Soonyoung’s hair into obedience, the newlyweds walked down the hallway and up the stairs to the King’s chambers. But the guard there informed them that the King had long since gone down to the royal court, where many royal family members were waiting for the Prince and the new Prince Consort. 

As they walked down the stairs, Prince Dokyeom chattered on about the different parts of the palace. Unfortunately, Soonyoung did not pay enough attention to history books to understand all of the things Dokyeom was telling him about the painting and portraits, but he found the Prince’s voice soothing and the enthusiasm incredibly attractive. The paintings themselves were majestic, reminding Soonyoung of the creative designs that went into manuscript production, too. 

If only he could enjoy all this without the nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him that such luxuries did not belong to him. 

“Announcing Prince Dokyeom and Prince Consort Soonyoung!”

Without even knowing, Soonyoung was already at the entrance of the royal court with his arm securely linked with Prince Dokyeom’s. He hesitated for a moment. Prince Dokyeom looked back at him, noticing. But the Prince flashed another warm smile at him and Soonyoung swallowed back his fear, attempting to smile back. 

They bowed to the King. The old man looked nothing like Prince Dokyeom. The King was a bit portly and a little bit mousy-looking, a few grey whiskers sticking out on his chin and his hair thinned out. Nevertheless, he greeted the couple graciously and with warmth. The seats next to him were left empty for Dokyeom and Soonyoung, although the hall was filled with all the members of the royal family who were eager to see the new Prince Consort. 

“How did you sleep, my son?”

“Very well, father.”

“Oh, I bet,” a snickering whisper came from where the other princes were sitting. Dokyeom smiled and drank from his tea cup as if he didn’t hear the comment. But Soonyoung was seething in anger. At first, he thought that the princes disliked Soonyoung for being a commoner. But more and more, he was starting to see that they envied Prince Dokyeom. Soonyoung could not understand why they were so intent on bullying their own brother. He did not like the way that the other princes were rude to Prince Dokyeom. 

“And you, Prince Consort?”

“Same as the Prince, Your Majesty.”

The King chuckled, and, like sheep, the rest of the court broke out in light laughter. The King and Prince Dokyeom began talking about political affairs and most of the court began to talk amongst themselves. Without a friend to turn to, Soonyoung just pushed around the small treats and cookies that were on his plate. The tea that they served in the palace was bland and slightly acrid. At home, Soonyoung would douse his teas with a healthy serving of sugar and cream. 

After the servants cleared out all of the tea trays, some of the royal family members left. Only those closely related to the King remained. Soonyoung looked around at the wives of the other princes, who kept whispering to each other, looked at Soonyoung, and giggled hysterically amongst themselves. It made Soonyoung feel dumb. But this feeling of insecurity turned to anger quickly. What did they know? These daughters of aristocrats, raised to be nothing but mindless ornaments to their husbands. They did not know how to do anything on their own. Then, Soonyoung realized in horror-- soon, he, too, will forget how to do anything on his own and be in the same state that they are in. 

That is, until the King finds out that he is a liar and declared him fit for death. 

“And was the marriage consummated?”

Soonyoung’s head snapped at the words. The whole hall fell silent, it seemed. He could not believe that the king mentioned this so casually. Soonyoung and Prince Dokyeom looked at each other, flabbergasted and unable to determine how to act. 

“The marriage was not consummated.”

One of the handmaidens who shoved Soonyoung into the room last night shouted across the hall. 

Soonyoung’s jaw dropped. How did she know this? Was everyone being watched in this palace? Feeling the heat rise to his cheeks, Soonyoung quickly glanced at the Prince. He could tell that Prince Dokyeom was just as surprised as he was and took a little comfort in knowing that they were in it together. 

The King shrugged. “No matter, I’m sure that you were both tired from the festivities. But do not forget, Prince Consort, that a part of your duty to this kingdom is to be a proper wife to my son.”

“Father!” Prince Dokyeom exclaimed in protest. But the King brushed him off. 

“Please, Dokyeom, do not be a prude. You know that the advisors are already up in arms about how the Prince Consort cannot give you any children. Do not give them more reasons to favor one of your brothers over you. I can only hold them off for so long.”

Soonyoung could tell that Prince Dokyeom was barely holding in his anger, but he himself saw reason in what the King had said. The King had taken Soonyoung, a commoner, on as the Prince Consort as a way to keep his favorite son alive. He reached over to Prince Dokyeom to stroke his hand. When the Prince looked over at him with a face that looked to be on the verge of tears, Soonyoung shook his head and smiled at him. This seemed to help the Prince relax and compose himself again. Soonyoung’s heart soared knowing that he was at least some kind of help to the kind Prince. 

After the tea time at the court, Soonyoung had to be whisked away to more dull etiquette lessons. Soonyoung wondered how many rules he needed to keep, exactly, to raise a fork, stick some food on it, and make it safely into his mouth. He had counted at least 12 before his tutor decided to let him go for the day. 

“But just a minute, Sire,” Cheonga interjected, “It is the fifteenth of the month, so you must attend the meeting with all of the ladies of the court.”

“All the ladies?”

“Well, all the spouses of the princes, to be exact.”

Soonyoung groaned at the thought. More weak tea with dainty little tea sandwiches and sandy cookies that hardly qualify as food. But he did not want to create a scene and cause embarrassment to Prince Dokyeom, so he followed Cheonga to the large terrace where few ladies were already sitting around with their servant girls standing by. Their chatter stopped as Soonyoung entered the terrace, heads snapping to stare at him. 

“Oh,” the haughtiest-looking and most wildly dressed one said as Soonyoung sat in a chair, “you’re here.” Her words were pointed. As if they were cued, the other women snickered at the statement. Soonyoung chose to ignore the pettiness. He thanked the servant girl who poured him a fresh cup of tea. 

The haughty one seemed slightly miffed that Soonyoung made no reaction to her comment. She cleared her throat. “Of course, I will not be so rude as to not introduce myself. I’m Lady Margaret, the wife of Prince Henry, as I’m sure you know.” Soonyoung bowed his head lightly as he sipped from his cup. Lady Margaret looked so pleased with herself, Soonyoung did not feel the need to burst her bubble by telling her that he had no clue who in the world Prince Henry was. 

“Hello, my name is Soonyoung.”

“Oh, you poor thing. Your commoner upbringing probably didn’t prepare you for the refined etiquettes of the royal court. You must refer to yourself as the Prince Consort when you formally introduce yourself, now. Although,” Lady Margaret added, “you might not be one for much longer anyway.”

“What do you mean by that?” Soonyoung asked, feigning innocence. The ladies all broke out in laughter, again. 

“My poor dear, of course-- you do realize that you will not be able to give Prince Dokyeom a proper heir to the throne? He’ll need to replace you with someone who can… or perhaps he himself will be replaced by one of our own husbands! Oh-- don’t be silly Lina, I’m only joking…”

Feigning apathy, Soonyoung sipped the last of his tea and excused himself from the ladies. Then, he went back into his room and vomited everything back up. 

\----

It wasn’t until dinnertime that he saw Prince Dokyeom again. 

Looking at the banquet table full of foods of all kinds-- chicken, duck, geese, and even venison-- Soonyoung smoothed down the less restrictive dress robe he had changed into for dinnertime. Not too long ago, it seemed, he was happy with bread and porridge in his belly and a roof over his head. Now, he was starting to get sick of all of the food here. 

Sighing, he turned his attention to Prince Dokyeom, who was in a deep conversation with one of the king’s military advisors. As if he could feel Soonyoung staring at him, the Prince suddenly turned to Soonyoung and smiled. 

“Is the food not agreeing with you, Soonyoung?”

“No, Your Majesty, I just haven’t had an appetite. Probably because I’ve been sitting around all day.”

“Hmm,” Prince Dokyeom frowned, “perhaps we should find a way to help you digest.”

Soonyoung sighed and started pushing around his food again. With so many rules in place and so many eyes watching him all the time, he could hardly lift a finger before being doted over by servants and handmaidens. But he heard the sudden scrape of chair legs on the floor and was surprised to find that Prince Dokyeom was standing up now, offering Soonyoung his hand.

“Father, I must apologize. I don’t feel so good,” Prince Dokyeom declared to the room, “so I shall take the Prince Consort and have him accompany me on a quick stroll. Good night, Father.” Soonyoung felt the eyes of everyone in the room, but he took Prince Dokyeom’s hand at once.

Soonyoung quite liked the feel of Prince Dokyeom’s hand. He always found his own hands too small and chubby, naturally unfit to be a scribe like his father. But Prince Dokyeom’s hands were long and slender. They were well-kept and groomed properly, the smoothness testifying to his noble upbringing. A little bit on the cold side, Soonyoung noted, but it felt soothing against the stifling heat of the summer. 

The sun was almost gone from the sky. Only the faintest orange light peeked on the horizon and the moon was already visible. Prince Dokyeom gently led Soonyoung to the royal garden, which Soonyoung had only seen from the windows. The thick smell of the greenery tickled Soonyoung’s nose. 

Many of the blooms were already fading, but a stunningly blue drape of flowers caught his eyes. He let go of the Prince’s hand and stared at it for a while. It was like a thick veil covering over the archway. Soonyoung touched the delicate flowers, mesmerized by the color. Never in his life did he see such a vibrant but delicate blue. As Soonyoung breathed in the musty scent of the flowers, he lifted his fingers, pulling back the vine. There, he was startled by Prince Dokyeom’s smiling face right in front of his eyes. Soonyoung felt the time freeze looking at Dokyeom’s face surrounded by the ethereal blue flowers. He dropped his hand in surprise and the thick vines full of flowers fell again, separating him from the Prince again. As Soonyoung blushed, he heard the Prince’s delighted laughter and felt so small and embarrassed. 

“They’re called blue moon wisteria,” Prince Dokyeom noted as he himself pulled back the flowers to come next to Soonyoung, “Do you like them, my Beloved?” 

“Yes, my lord,” whispered Soonyoung, clearing his throat. 

“They’re my favorite, too.” 

The handsome prince looked at Soonyoung with such intense endearment, Soonyoung could not help but feel the pang of guilt. As the days went on, Soonyoung saw more of the Prince’s kind demeanor. He knew that the Prince deserved true happiness and wanted to tell the truth a million times. But each time, he would be reminded of the nightmares, the screams of his sister and his father’s eyes full of blame. 

Prince Dokyeom must have noticed Soonyoung’s hesitation. He merely patted Soonyoung on the shoulders gently before beckoning him to look around the lush garden.


	4. Impetuous Youth

4

“Prince Consort, quick! Come this way, sire!” 

Soonyoung’s head snapped at the sound of Cheonga’s voice. At this point, any reprieve from the grueling lesson in royal history would have been welcomed. Soonyoung got up, bowed to his very disgruntled tutor and practically ran out of the room. 

“What is it, Cheonga?” Soonyoung asked, trying to hide his glee. 

Cheonga pulled him into a small hallway with her index finger up against her lips to quiet Soonyoung. “The representatives from the Myung Empire have arrived early. Since the King is still away on a hunting trip in the countryside, Prince Dokyeom will have to greet them. And naturally, you must be there by his side as well.”

“Me?”

“Yes, sire,” Cheonga urged on as she dragged Soonyoung back down the staircase, “and it’s imperative that we deal carefully with them. As you know, the Myung have been demanding more and more unreasonable requirements for tribute over the past few years.”

Alas, Soonyoung did not, in fact, know anything about the Myung except reading once that they are a powerful kingdom. He suddenly regretted not paying attention to his history lessons. But before Cheonga could explain much more, they arrived at the banquet hall. 

“Introducing the Prince Consort Soonyoung!” the little servant boy shouted with little fanfare. Soonyoung bowed as quickly as possible and scanned the room. He took relief when he spotted Dokyeom in the Crowned Prince’s seat and hurried to take his place next to the Prince. Then, he apologized out to the rest of the room for being late. Prince Dokyeom flashed a smile. 

“Please, my Prince Consort, none of us had any idea that our most honored guests from the Myung would arrive today. I thought for sure that our brother Prince Henry would have notified the court days before, since his wife Lady Margaret is from the Myung royal family.”

Soonyoung wasn’t sure if he interpreted Prince Dokyeom’s words correctly, but he felt a little bit of tension in them. He looked to Lady Margaret smiling slyly next to her mousy husband, who was feigning shock. 

This was most certainly a planned “surprise” visit. 

One of the men dressed in strange red tunics-- which Soonyoung assumed was the representative party from the Myung-- stepped up and cleared his throat. 

“Ah, Crowned Prince Dokyeom. It’s certainly a surprise that the King did not prepare for our coming. What a regret! As you know, our representatives have been greeted with such extravagant welcoming banquet and the most exquisite gifts to bring back to our kingdom each time we’ve come.” 

“Yes,” Prince Dokyeom countered in a tone that Soonyoung had not heard from him before, “but perhaps it is for the better good that we did not have a chance to prepare as much as years before. As you know, there was a drought in many parts of our kingdom last year and our citizens still continue to struggle to put food on the table for their families. We, as leaders, ought to be alongside them by being modest and frugal instead of burdening them.”

Soonyoung slammed his feet down, ready to stand up and give Prince Dokyeom a standing ovation. But as the sound of his stomp echoed across the silent hall, he realized that this was not such as a welcoming message for most people in the room, even though it was the truth. Slumping back into his seat, Soonyoung tried to think of something to break the icy tension in the room. 

“Well,” he started softly, “I hope that you will have a wonderful stay here while you are honored guests of the palace. Our staff and servants are preparing their hardest to take care of you all. Even our regular dinners are filled with fresh vegetables and bread and duck and drinks to fill everyone up.”

The representative from Myung scoffed at Soonyoung’s words. “Please, even peasants have at least a goose on the table for dinner.”

Soonyoung was taken aback. He breathed in sharply before replying. “I’m sure that’s not true, sire. After all, my father was a tradesman and it was a special occasion if we had more than gruel and vegetables on the table. A peasant would not be able to have meat for dinner--”

“Perhaps,” the representative from Myung quickly cut Soonyoung off, “that is the way it is in a small kingdom like yours. But in our superior empire, every household has at least a poultry on the table and warm food every day.” He still looked haughty, but the other representatives behind him looked uncomfortable. Soonyoung was getting angry, too. It was clear that these envoys from the Myung were all of noble origin and never worked the fields. 

“Wow,” Soonyoung said dryly without thinking, “It’s a wonder, then, that we have such a large community of emigrées from Myung in our capital. I would want to move to the Myung empire. It sounds like a fantasy.” 

More than a few snickers rose from the crowd and Soonyoung knew that he had been triumphant in this fight. But when he looked and saw Prince Dokyeom’s pale face, he knew that he had made a mistake. 

Cheonga bolted into the room at that moment. “Lords and ladies of the court, and our esteemed guests! Our kitchen has prepared a light tea service for you all. Please go forth to our garden and enjoy the beautiful greenery outside.” Never had Soonyoung seen the nobility move so quickly. The head representative from the Myung shot him a glare, but he soon turned to speak to Lady Margaret, who seemed to be an old acquaintance. Nevertheless, Soonyoung felt himself crumble inward in dread. 

“I’m so sorry, my lord.” Soonyoung whispered, unable to look at the Prince’s face. He felt the long gentle hand sweep through his hair. But the Prince did not say anything. Afraid of what might follow, Soonyoung squeezed his eyes shut and blurted out. “I will retire to my chamber. Please do excuse me.”

\---

Back in his chamber, Soonyoung was free to cry. Burying himself into his bed, Soonyoung wanted to disappear. He knew that his big mouth would cause a catastrophe at some point, but he had no idea that it would bear so much weight. Because of his carelessness, the entire kingdom was in jeopardy. Most importantly, he created a problem for Dokyeom to deal with in an already-stressful time. Why did he have such a hard time learning to be silent? Why couldn’t he have remembered to just bite his tongue? He couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his face. Soonyoung cried until his eyes were practically swollen shut and his head hurt too much for him to bear. 

Soonyoung woke up from the sound of clatter and banging on his door. It was pitch black outside. Not knowing how long he had retreated into sleep, Soonyoung rubbed his eyes and looked for the source of the noise. 

“Prince Consort, please open up! It’s--”

Soonyoung heard Cheonga’s pleas being cut off and furious whispering and murmur from outside his chamber. Odd, he thought. He decided to rise out of his bed to look at what the disturbance was about. 

“My lord.”

Opening the door, Soonyoung found Prince Dokyeom arguing with Cheonga. Both of them froze at the sight of Soonyoung. He tried to smile at both of them.

“Forgive me, Prince Consort. I only wanted to know if you were feeling well. But the good maiden Cheonga insisted that I ask to come into your chamber to confirm for myself. I did not mean to wake you up.”

Soonyoung almost cried again at the Prince’s hesitation. He knew Cheonga had also worked herself getting the whole castle together to appease the representative party from the Myung. She must have rushed over and kept watch over Soonyoung's room without a rest. And though he hated to admit it, it did make him feel a bit better to see the Prince face to face like this. He was sure that he had fallen out of favor with his little antics this afternoon.

"Thank you, Cheonga, and I do please ask that you and the maidens retire to your chambers. You all must be very tired. I assure you that I am feeling well now. I wish to speak to the Prince alone."

"Very well, sire. Good night, Prince Consort. Good night, your highness."

Cheonga bowed deeply and retreated with the other two handmaidens who were keeping guard over Soonyoung's door. After seeing that they had left, Soonyoung shut the door and bowed to the Crowned Prince, who was staring out at the darkness beyond the windows. 

"My lord-"

"Please. My Prince Consort, if you are going to apologize for what you said today, speak no more." Prince Dokyeom cut Soonyoung off with a tired and weary smile. Soonyoung's heart dropped to his stomach. He had expected that his actions have created trouble, but he did not know how angry the Prince would be. He bit his lower lip, trying to hold back the tears. Crying was for those who had been wrongly grieved.

Soonyoung raised his eyes at the touch of the Prince's hand on his chin. 

"Are you crying, my Beloved?"

The Prince's voice was gentle, much kinder than what Soonyoung deserved. But that gentleness made Soonyoung's lips quiver against his rational judgment. Prince Dokyeom, looking alarmed, pulled Soonyoung into his fold, gently brushing his hair. Soonyoung tried to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. And miraculously, he did feel comforted in Prince Dokyeom’s arms. After a few sniffles, he calmed down enough to pull himself off of the Prince's embrace. 

“You need not be afraid or sorry,” Prince Dokyeom whispered gently, “They were looking for reasons to cut us down. Everything that you said was truthful and wise.” 

“But- but…” 

Soonyoung could not continue. His entire body was shaking in grief. With tear filled eyes, he looked up at the kind Prince. He saw Prince Dokyeom smiling gently and then raising his eyebrows, as if to assure Soonyoung that all was going to be well. As he blinked, Soonyoung felt the tears rolled down his cheek. He blinked one more time and felt the Prince's hand brushing away the tears. Another slow blink, and he saw the Prince's face getting closer. Then, another blink. 

The kiss felt soft and not rushed, as Soonyoung's very first and only other kiss-- which he shared with some village girl whose name he could not remember-- had been. Soonyoung closed his eyes completely, not afraid to believe for a moment that all the people and worries that have been plaguing his thoughts had melted away and it was just the two of them alone in the world. Then, he felt his heart racing. Why? Was he in love with the Prince that he was deceiving? Were his actions putting everyone in danger? Was his heart falling too quickly for the Prince? Did the Prince even like him or was he just being nice to Soonyoung? Was this entire thing moving too quickly? 

But those critical voices in his head stopped when he felt Prince Dokyeom's hand stroking his chin open and the kiss deepened, their tongues intertwining. He felt out of breath as heat rose up to his face. Soonyoung grabbed the Prince's shoulders, hoping that they would keep his knees from giving out and falling onto the floor. 

The Prince was no longer so gentle. He took from Soonyoung like a beast that had been starved for days, desperately and with a force unnatural. Pushing them both against the wall, Prince Dokyeom closed in tighter and tighter, even though there was no more space for them to get closer together. Soonyoung's mouth, too, searched after the Prince's eager tongue when his eyes could not even open, like a calf feeding from its mother's teat. He felt the Prince’s fingers crawl in underneath the flimsy nightshirt and rest on his waist. He froze again at the sensation of icy burn shooting up his spine, every inch of hair on his body standing up. 

The Prince moved his lips away from Soonyoung’s mouth and began nipping along the chin and neck. A large gasp came out of Soonyoung’s mouth. He couldn’t tell if it was because his lungs were desperate for air or if the sensation of Prince Dokyeom’s tongue and teeth on his skin was sending his brain into overload. Soonyoung forced his eyes open as he caught his breath. The Prince’s coarse brown hair moving to the sound of sucking and nibbling was too much to bear. He moaned out of desperation and the Prince grunted, pushing his hips against Soonyoung before coming back up, his forehead touching Soonyoung’s as they both caught their breaths. Soonyoung felt himself shaking and could not stop. “Sire, I-”

But Prince Dokyeom didn’t let him finish. He swooped down and kissed Soonyoung again. The heat between the two of them was rising and so palpable. Soonyoung didn’t even bother resisting against the tightrope that Prince Dokyeom was walking between soft, gentle caresses and the almost-feral force with which he was engulfing Soonyoung whole. The moans escaped him freely, filling and echoing against the chamber walls loudly. Subconsciously, Soonyoung was both amazed and embarrassed at such noises being made from his body. But he felt such chilling thrill every time his groans were met by soft noises from the Prince, as if Prince Dokyeom was answering his cries. Nearly in tears from feeling so good, he could only pant when the Prince sucked and bit on the skin around Soonyoung’s clavicles. Feeling those slender, long fingers roaming all over his back made him feel fainter and fainter. 

It was not long before the Prince untied and lifted Soonyoung’s shirt off of his trunk, Soonyoung raising his arms to welcome a wave of cold air hitting his torso, which felt like it was on fire. His chest pounded as he saw Prince Dokyeom’s handsome face smiling up at him for a second before taking Soonyoung’s nipple in his mouth. 

“N-no, this is too much-- ahh!” Soonyoung’s pleas fell on deaf ears; the Prince continued to suck and caress Soonyoung’s chest until Soonyoung finally let the stimulation overtake the last of his wits. He felt like his mind was being ripped from his body, slowly losing control of his actions. It felt unreal. Soonyoung was overwhelmed at the thought of the Prince wanting him in this way. It felt like a fever was rising in his body. He barely registered the Prince undoing his breeches. But he jolted awake at the sensation of the Prince grabbing his penis. 

“My lord!”

Dokyeom moved swiftly before Soonyoung could resist. His mouth took all of Soonyoung’s member, which had been quite erect for a time now. The warm sensation left Soonyoung speechless. Every time the Prince sucked and licked, Soonyoung felt intense wave of pleasure and emotions. He covered his mouth but could not stop himself from moaning at the Prince’s every move. As the Prince held onto Soonyoung’s hips, the young boy cried out and tried to keep his knees from buckling and falling onto the floor. He put his hands on the Prince’s hair gently, unable to pull the Prince away for the fear of tugging on that beautiful crown of hair. With Soonyoung still in his mouth, the Prince looked up and gave a smile that made Soonyoung’s heart drop. This snapped something inside Soonyoung. He knew instinctively that he was close to the edge and started panicking. 

“Sire, please, move off of me, I’m about to-”

Prince Dokyeom, unlike his usual self, did not oblige to Soonyoung’s request. Instead, he swallowed deeper and moaned, sending Soonyoung into a sensory climax. Waves of pleasure and fear broke over Soonyoung as he came, tears dripping down his face, body quaking, screaming for the Prince. Soonyoung felt so weak, knees giving out to the pleasure and excitement. He felt himself slide down the wall, the Prince finally detaching his face from Soonyoung’s hips. The whole world faded into darkness as Soonyoung quickly fell into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't update regularly because of other life commitments but thank you all for reading it and leaving such sweet comments. This chapter shows you the reason why I rated this fic M ;)


	5. Better One

Feeling the warmth of the day on his face, Soonyoung yawned and opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling while his brain slowly caught up to his body. Blinking a few times, he slowly turned his head to the right. There, he saw the Prince looking at him lovingly and remember all that had happened last night. Soonyoung’s face felt like it was going to explode. He felt his heart palpitating and the blood pounding in his ears. 

“Good morning,” the Prince whispered quietly with a chuckle. 

Soonyoung’s eyes rolled back and forth between Prince Dokyeom’s eyes, his bare shoulders, and the sunlight shining through the curtains. He himself had been wiped and dressed, so Soonyoung wondered if this was all the Prince’s handiwork. “Good morning, your highness.” Even as he brought himself to whisper back, Soonyoung could not hide his embarrassment. So he dug deeper into the bed, hoping that the sheets would cover his face. 

“You fell into such sound sleep. I did not want to wake you up, my sweet.” 

“... Thank you.”

They lay there, staring at each other quietly. Then, Prince Dokyeom smiled again, ruffled Soonyoung’s hair, and rose from the bed. He stood in front of the tall window and looked out. Soonyoung noticed that the Prince was not dressed at all. The warm glow of the sunlight coming through the window touched on each groove and bump created masterfully on the Prince’s body. With broad shoulders and strong legs, Prince Dokyeom was effortlessly masculine. Soonyoung admired his handsome husband’s body, and then looked down on his own. His arms were always on the lean side, no matter how much time and strength he dedicated to his household chores and helping his father with the scribing. And since he had gotten to the palace, all the rich food had gotten him plumped up. His body was all soft curves. Soonyoung sighed at his reality. Suddenly, he remembered something. 

"Sire, shouldn't we get ready to meet with the representatives from Myung?"

As if he wasn’t completely dreading facing that mousy little man again. But the Prince shook his head. 

"No need," the Prince said, still facing the window, "I see my father's prized peregrines. The hunting party must be coming back."

\---

Soonyoung made sure to dress in the best dress robes he had and took extra care not to move or touch his face while Cheonga put powder and rouge color on his face. Still, he could not help but fidget with the fray ends of yarn on his robe. Prince Dokyeom looked nervous as well. 

"Crown Prince Dokyeom and the Prince Consort Soonyoung!"

At the call, they instinctively reached for each others' hands. Soonyoung squeezed it once, looking up at the Prince's face to smile. They entered into the room and saw that the King and much of the court was already seated there, along with the representatives from Myung.

"My son, dear Prince Consort. I'm glad to hear that you both rose to fulfill my absence yesterday."

"Father, forgive me, for I have failed in performing these duties as perfectly as you would have." Prince Dokyeom bowed deeply and Soonyoung followed him. Nose touching the ground, he wondered what the stern King would say. 

The King, to everyone's wonder, merely scoffed. "But of course, how could the Crown Prince perform as my surrogate when our guests arrived much earlier than either the Myung or our kingdom has planned?"

The head representative from the Myung-- the one Soonyoung had a little altercation with yesterday-- hawed in protest. "Your Highness, I assure you that the Myung had sent an envoy a week before to notify you of this change."

"Oh, really?" the King turned, his brows raised, "That's strange. You see, I met another visitor on my way back from the hunt-- ah, there he is now."

Everyone in the hall turned to see where the King was pointing at. Soonyoung saw a very tall man-- taller than even Prince Dokyeom-- walking towards the front of the court. He was dressed in clothes that Soonyoung thought of as typical for a person from the Myung. Flashy patterned tunic and a tight stocking underneath. When the stranger approached closer, though, Soonyoung noted that he was extraordinarily handsome. 

"D-Duke Mingyu!"

The head representative stammered and bowed deeply. 

"Hello, Laurie. Fancy seeing you here today. I thought I made it clear that I was going to be leading the negotiations next week, so that we have time to meet with the Emperor to hear his wishes before sending an envoy.."

Soonyoung saw that the head representative's face had turned completely red. He wondered if a human head could explode from embarrassment. 

“Well, no matter. I will just notify his Highness when we do go back. And, of course, I will be taking over the negotiations. You know, Laurie, you seem to be forgetting a lot of things lately. Have you tried walnuts? Or maybe cut back on some of the meat. It seems to be bloating everything in your body.”

There was a certain confidence in the Duke’s eyes that made the mousy head representative at loss for words. Soonyoung snickered at the slight and covered his mouth before realizing that he wasn’t the only one laughing. The other Myung representatives seemed the most delighted out of all. 

The handsome Duke swept the court with his gaze. When it fell on Prince Dokyeom, the light playful glint in his eyes were suddenly turned off. Soonyoung turned his gaze to the Prince on his right and saw that Prince Dokyeom, too, stiffened cold. 

“My dear Prince Consort. Congratulations on your marriage,” the Duke offered first, breaking a pause that was short but so palpable. Prince Dokyeom replied with a gentle but strained tone. “Thank you, Duke Mingyu... I hope that you have a wonderful stay in our kingdom.”

 

\--

“Cheonga,” Soonyoung stopped in the middle of his stitch, “do you know anything about Duke Mingyu?”

The fair maiden shook her head. “Not much besides that he is a nobility from the Myung Empire. Duke Mingyu is here fairly frequently, so I presume that he and the king as a stronger connection of some sort. But he has inherited his title fairly young, and he’s bee overseeing the duchy of Kronas, which is an island not far from here.”

Soonyoung slumped back in his seat. He was so sure that he had sense some tension between the Prince and the Duke this morning. But the two men seemed entirely unrelated, by all accounts. He couldn’t get the Duke’s sharp glare out of his mind. 

“You’re asking about the Duke, my Lord? Handsome one, isn’t he?” the old laundry maid, who had come into the room with fresh linens for Soonyoung’s bed, clucked and laughed, “He was such a handsome little boy back then, too. He and our Crown Prince. We used to watch them gallop through the gardens causing all sorts of mischief and shrug to say that handsome is as handsome does. Funny, never thought they’d grow up to be such solemn men.”

Perking up at this little story, Soonyoung probed further. “You mean to tell me that the Duke and the Crown Prince are childhood friends?”

The laundry maid paused. “Hmm, I guess you can say that. They grew up together, you see, because the Duke’s mother passed away soon after giving birth to him and the Prince’s mother took him in for a while. That is, until… you know.”

Soonyoung did not know, but he saw the sadness in the maid’s eyes and nodded quietly, not wanting to provoke her into tears. He had always meant to ask what had become of Prince Dokyeom’s mother, who was clearly no longer present. But the right opportunity never seemed to arise. 

The maid continued with her folding. “But until then, they were inseparable. I used to be one of the Prince’s nurses, you know? I would tuck in both lads into their own beds in their own rooms. But then when I would go to wake the Prince up in the morning, the Duke would be there sleeping soundly beside him.”

Hearing this, Soonyoung began to feel strange. Perhaps because this morning, it was he who had been sleeping soundly besides the Prince. He tried to imagine this little Prince Dokyeom, running around the castle with his best friend, carefree, running into trouble left and right. He imagined the very handsome Duke sneaking into Prince Dokyeom’s room at night, sharing laughter and stories until both of them tired out. 

It was perfect and idyllic. 

Soonyoung felt a sharp pain shoot down from his heart to his fingers at the thought. The Duke had everything that Soonyoung did not have: beautiful physique, magnetic eyes, proper title and upbringing, tact. And suddenly, Soonyoung was grieved to know that this was what the good Prince deserved. An equal. A true friend. A true soulmate. Soonyoung swallowed back the sudden tears as the laundry maid left, clucking her tongue at the amount of laundry Soonyoung had left for her to do tomorrow. Cheonga looked at him with concerned eyes. 

“I think,” Soonyoung blinked away the glossiness from his eyes, “that all this needlepoint is giving me an eyeache.”

Soonyoung knew that he was crazy to be jealous of the Duke being childhood friends with the Prince, but he could not help himself. Thus, he had stayed shut inside his room during the afternoon, feigning a headache. Cheonga tempted him with the promise of cake at the afternoon tea, but Soonyoung resisted, looking at his squishy arms and sighing. He asked her to send word to the Crown Prince, letting him know that Soonyoung will not make it to the banquet prepared for the Myung representatives and the Duke. Then, he fell fast asleep. 

His eyes closed, he felt a cold hand touching his forehead. Wrinkling his face, Soonyoung opened his eyes and almost yelled at the sight of the Prince before him. 

“Your majesty!”

“Hmm, it doesn’t seem to be a fever. Is your stomach feeling upset, my Beloved?”

“N-no, sire…”

“Are you feeling very unwell? I do wish that you could come down to the banquet. Duke Mingyu brought many exotic fruits, and I think you will like them very much.”

At the mention of the Duke, the little angry flame in Soonyoung’s heart flared up again, but he quieted it down. 

“If it pleases the Prince--”

“Was it last night? Did I tire you?”

“Sire!”

Soonyoung was horrified at the mention, his cheeks and ears burning red immediately. The Prince chuckled playfully, smoothing over Soonyoung’s hair. Perhaps, Soonyoung thought, that mischievous little imp of a boy is still inside Prince Dokyeom’s heart. 

“Is it a sin to desire my own spouse? I only wish to know if it pleased you as much as you please me.”

“Sire, please, don’t…”

Soonyoung covered his face and groaned into his own hands while he secretly cherished the feeling of the Prince stroking his hair and leaving a small kiss on his head. Giving up his pretense, Soonyoung sighed. 

“I will go down to the banquet, my Lord, provided that we do not talk about… about that.”

In a record time, Soonyoung was dressed as properly as he could by himself. The heat was still not gone from his face, and he was sweating while he changed his clothes. On top of that, he felt the Prince’s eyes following him the entire time, and it made lacing all of these shirts and jackets that much more difficult. 

By the time they got down to the banquet hall, the festivities were already in full swing. Soonyoung’s jaw dropped at the opulence. There were tables covered in the finest purple tablecloth, loaded with heaps of food. The jesters from all over the land were pulling out their best tricks to appeal to the eyes of the noble. There was ale and fine wine being poured in all corners of the hall. And, as Prince Dokyeom promised, the dessert table was loaded with not only the usual sweets but colorful array of what Soonyoung imagined was delicious morsels of fruit from Kronas. Prince Dokyeom steered him through the crowd, which took a while since everyone wanted to greet the Crown Prince and expected Soonyoung to bow. 

“Ah, there you are, my son. Alright, call the hall to a toast.”

The King greeted them and urged them to sit by him. Someone blew a horn and yelled, “All take seat for the royal toast!” The hall bustled and then fell to a quiet. Soonyoung noticed that Duke Mingyu was seated adjacent to the King’s table. He was dressed in such simple but elegant dress robes. Soonyoung couldn’t help but stare, and noticed that this thought was common among many in the banquet hall at the moment. Even the new servant girl who Cheonga had been training was practically gawking at the Duke. But why, Soonyoung wondered, had the Prince and the Duke not exchange a single word since Duke Mingyu first greeted them? He was looking that way absentmindedly when the Duke turned his head and looked straight at him. Their gazes held for a few moments, and Soonyoung wondered if he had to look away. He didn’t want to. It felt like losing. He felt his petulant heart beating angrily against his chest. 

Then he remembered that the Duke had not done a single bad thing to Soonyoung. And probably had done more good to Prince Dokyeom than Soonyoung had ever done for the Prince. 

The crowd cheered loudly and Soonyoung guessed that the King had finished his toast. He smiled and raised his glass to Prince Dokyeom, sitting next to him and smiling so pristinely. Suddenly, Soonyoung felt the pangs of guilt coming back, the deception, the feeling that he did not belong here. Though food was being offered to him left and right, his stomach felt wrung out. Then, he noticed something weird. The ladies of the court-- the ones that have been ignoring him and laughing behind his back-- were the ones offering him food. He looked around the hall for one particular figure. 

“Sire, where is Prince Henry and Lady Margaret?”

“Hah, the fools!” the King answered the question Soonyoung had directed towards Prince Dokyeom, “They thought they could fool me into giving the throne to them! No matter, Prince Consort, I saw right through Lady Margaret’s trickery and cast them out from the castle.”

“Father,” Prince Dokyeom whispered, with urge in his eyes, “surely you don’t mean--”

“No, my son,” the King laughed, “I’ve only cast them out for today to give them a good scare. They will be brought back tomorrow-- though obviously, the whole court knows they’ve lost favor in my eyes.”

Soonyoung saw the Prince bite his lips and pull back at this assurance. He tried to think of what kind of measure the King was capable of inflicting on his own son. Whatever it was, it must be alarming enough to frighten the usually temperate Prince Dokyeom. Soonyoung remembered his own nightmares about his father and his sister. It brought shivers down his spine. 

The other ladies of the court-- whom Soonyoung supposed now saw him as more powerful than Lady Margaret-- kept bringing him dishes that he turned down. Catching break from finally fending them off and reassuring them all that he was not hungry, Soonyoung turned and saw the Prince talking intently with the Duke. He sat there silently, fidgeting with the tablecloth for a long time, before Prince Dokyeom even noticed. 

“Allow me to properly introduce my… the Prince Consort Soonyoung.”

It did not escape Soonyoung’s notice that Prince Dokyeom did not call him husband.

“Yes, I’ve noticed the Prince Consort. I mean,” the Duke cleared his throat, grinning with his pearly wolf-like teeth, “Prince Consort Soonyoung, most pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Duke Mingyu of the Myung Empire, duke of Kronas.” Soonyoung bowed, noticing that even up close, the Duke looked so well-dressed and flawless. 

“Pleased to meet you, sire. I heard from one of the Prince’s old nurses that you two were close childhood friends.” Soonyoung lifted his eyes and saw that the two men were taken aback by what he had said. Was the laundry maid wrong? Prince Dokyeom looked at Duke Mingyu for a bit and then nodded. 

“I guess you could say that. We grew up together, so we were very close.” At this, the little witch inside Soonyoung’s heart taunted him. It was completely irrational. After all, Soonyoung had known the Prince less than half a year. But every moment he saw Duke Mingyu, he could not help but wish that he was so tall, handsome, of royal pedigree, and shared closeness with the Prince. The jealousy ripped away at Soonyoung, even with his mind constantly whispering that what he was saying made no sense. The truth is, Soonyoung was never Prince Dokyeom’s soulmate. If not for his father’s greed, this seat next to the Prince was not Soonyoung’s rightful place to begin with. Looking at Duke Mingyu laugh and banter with the Prince, Soonyoung knew in his heart that there were so many others out there deserving of the Prince’s happiness. 

The thoughts churned in his mind.

And his stomach churned along with them. 

Soonyoung let out a dry heave. “Are you quite alright?” Duke Mingyu noticed first, extending his gloved hand. Soonyoung declined it politely and tried to smile. “Please excuse me, my lords, it must be my headache coming back. I will retire to my chamber early.” He had to fend off Prince Dokyeom’s insistence on calling the royal physician. Soonyoung was touched by the gesture, but he knew that this was no ailment that could be cured by herbal concoctions. As he crept up the stairs, he noticed that the two handsome men were back to speaking to each other again with fervor. 

It hurt. 

Managing to keep the tears in until he opened his doors, Soonyoung wept into the pillow again until his head was too hot to do so. Then, he turned and stared up at the ceiling, wishing that he had never been born. 

He heard the door open and assumed that it was Cheonga telling him to go back to the damn banquet. 

“Go away, Cheonga, my heart is feeling too wretched to even sleep.”

“Tell me, my love. Why is your heart wretched?”

Soonyoung almost jumped out of bed at Prince Dokyeom’s voice. “M-my lord!” The Prince smiled warmly down at Soonyoung, who was now scrambling to not appear as if he had lied down and wallowed in self-pity for about an hour. 

“My sweet Prince Consort, please tell me why you left in such haste.”

Biting his lips, Soonyoung contemplated telling the entire truth. But he was afraid of where to begin. It already sounded so delusional in his mind. How could he tell the Prince that he had lied about being the Prince’s destined one, how he still admires and loves the Prince, how fiercely jealous he is that there’s another out there who is destined to be with the Prince?

So, he chose the next best thing. 

“Sire… I know that you did not marry me because you knew me or because you loved me. So if it pleases the Prince, I would not be opposed if you took in another spouse.”

“Another?” the prince repeated, incredulous. 

“Yes, one more fitting--”

“Do you still believe that I do not love you?”

Soonyoung detected the Prince’s face hardening and rolling with anger. He gulped and continued. “There are so many more who are qualified--” The Prince slammed down his hand on the headboard behind Soonyoung, and Soonyoung started to hiccup. They sat there, still. The Prince finally sighed. 

“Did someone put this in your head? I-- forgive me, my Beloved. But it doesn’t make sense that this morning, we woke up so happy and-- or was it just me?”

“What? No!” Soonyoung cried out frantically, “No, my lord. You make me feel cared for and special, but…”

“But what?”

“I am not fit enough to be next to you.”

“Not fit-- then who? Who do you believe is worthy of that?”

Soonyoung felt trapped. The fury behind Prince Dokyeom’s words were real, and he could see that the Prince was holding back so much more. But Soonyoung felt wronged, too. It was not his fault that he was born so lowly and so short of the Prince’s status. 

“Prince Consort, tell me. Who?”

“Well, for example… Duke Mingyu.”

The Prince looked utterly shocked by the answer. “Mingyu?” he raised his eyebrows, “What does Mingyu have anything to do with this?”

Hearing the Prince mention the Duke’s first name with no title-- a treatment Soonyoung never has received-- fed the angry monster in Soonyoung’s heart. He finally snapped, knowing that all of his irrational jealousy will be poured out for the Prince to see and, eventually, reject. 

“Yes, Duke Mingyu. Look at how tall and handsome he is. I heard from the laundry maid how close you were when you were younger. He’s so wise in his diplomacy, I heard how he led the negotiations for the tribute so that both our kingdom and the Myung would find it satisfactory. I’m homely and I have no status, no wealth, no power to add to who you are… tell me, who would not be envious of the Duke in my situation?” His eye brimming with tears, Soonyoung laid out his sordid heart. 

But he was shocked by the sound of Prince Dokyeom laughing. 

“Mingyu. You were envious of Mingyu winning your place.”

Soonyoung remained silent and shut his eyes. But the verbal affirmation of Duke Mingyu’s superiority did not come. Instead, a gentle hand wiped away his eyes and brushed his hair. 

“My Beloved. First, you are far from homely. You’re so mesmerizing, I, too, become envious when people turn their heads to see you. You’re beautiful, kind, gracious to the weak, and so brilliantly sharp. And secondly, Duke Mingyu is my cousin.”

It felt like being hit in the head with a hammer. Soonyoung’s mouth opened and no sound came out. 

“Of course. How could you have known? Our mothers were sisters. We grew up like brothers, which is why we were so close when we were younger. In fact, he is more of a brother than any of my real step-brothers at this court. I assure you, even if all of your accusations of me were true, Duke Mingyu would never, ever, ever be my spouse. Ever.”

“Oh.”

Soonyoung felt dumb and helpless. He felt stupid. How could he have been so wrong and so crazy? Soonyoung was beyond the point of embarrassment. Looking at the Prince, now laughing at the way Soonyoung was squirming with the realization, he wanted to crawl out of sight and disappear into nothingness. 

“But you were jealous.”

“Yes…”

“Of all of the things Mingyu has?” 

“No! It’s not--”

“Or the idea that I could be in love with him?”

Prince Dokyeom pressed right into flesh of the issue, his eyes twinkling. Soonyoung knew he was trapped. The Prince knew very well that this was Soonyoung’s base, childish envy, rearing its ugly head, assuming that he is entitled to the Prince. Not able to find any smart response, Soonyoung huffed and threw on the sheets over his head, turning away from Prince Dokyeom, who was now giggling and teasing him. 

“Sire, please be kind to me and leave me alone.”

“Very well,” Prince Dokyeom knelt to kiss Soonyoung’s head, poking out from under the sheet, “but my Prince Consort, you will never know how good it feels knowing of your affections towards me.”

And you will never know how it feels to be hopelessly in love with someone you should not love, thought Soonyoung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were sitting here wondering when Mingyu was going to show up in this story, me too...


	6. Home

Soonyoung had hoped that the history lessons would be ceased while the Myung representatives were here. Unfortunately, neither the King nor Cheonga felt that Soonyoung was particularly needed for the negotiations or entertainment for the guests. So Soonyoung sat there for all hours of the morning, struggling to keep his eyes open while his tutor droned on and on. 

 

“Cheonga,” Soonyoung whispered while the tutor wrote down notes on a scroll, “are you sure we’re not needed for the negotiation?”

“No, your highness.”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“I’m certain, your highness.”

“Prince Consort, please, I’m glad you find the kingdom’s enmity with the Min tribe fascinating, but we do have a lot to cover.” The tutor sniffed at Soonyoung, showing much disdain for spending so many hours teaching the young Prince Consort instead of being holed up in the study with some books, as he would prefer to spend the rest of his days doing. Soonyoung winced.

After the history lesson was the lesson in manners, which always ended with Soonyoung on the floor, either laughing hysterically or groaning in frustration. And sometimes, both. Cheonga, who was in charge of the particular lesson, threw up her hands.

“Sire,” she said, exasperated, “this is a lesson in proper royal table manners. How on earth did you fall on the floor again?”

Soonyoung sighed.

“I don’t think I’m fit for this.”

“My Prince Consort, that kind of talk will be of no help to securing your husband’s title. There’s already talks of—”

Cheonga stopped, looking embarrassed.

“Talks of what?” Soonyoung pressed her on.

“… of re-evaluating the Prince’s current position as first in line of succession.”

Soonyoung felt his heart crumble. He knew that he was of no particular upbringing and that they had only been married to prevent the Prince from dying. But it still crushed him to know that he could not do anything to help.

But maybe he could.

“Cheonga, what if… what if the Crown Prince married another? Someone with greater position.”

“With all due respect, Sire,” Cheonga whispered, her face already crestfallen, “my understanding is that his marriage to you is not the only thing that put him at a disadvantage. Even before the name appeared, there were many advisors who were against his title. He is not even the oldest of his brothers, you know? The King favors him because he is wise and kind, unlikely to try to wrestle power away from his own father or kill his own brothers.”

“You mean—”

Soonyoung’s eyes widened at the implication. He recalled his own father speaking about tumultuous time before the current king had taken on the throne. Bloody battles at the expense of the commoners, blood fighting blood until all was done. Horrified, Soonyoung wished he had paid more attention at those afternoon teas. It was no wonder that there was so much tension and fake smiles plastered on at these things.

Cheonga shook her head. “Sire, please, forget what I mentioned. You will be ready. You will become the best partner for the Prince when he eventually becomes king.” But Soonyoung knew in his heart that this place did not belong to him. No man had ever become a spouse of a King. He did not have the political clout to sway the courts. He would never be able to bear Prince Dokyeom a child.

His heart panged in agony.

Seeing how grim Soonyoung had become, Cheonga dismissed him early and encouraged him to walk around a while in the garden before returning to attend afternoon tea. He tried to smile back at her as he thanked her gesture. But although the day was sunny and the flowers were still peeking their faces out, not quite yet ready for the fall, Soonyoung felt a deep gnawing inside his stomach. He loved the Prince, but he also knew how dangerous he had become for the Prince’s own good. Soonyoung wished, in vain, that it was the Prince’s name that had been inscribed on his body, and not some nameless stranger.

Deep in thought, he did not even notice that Duke Mingyu had come into the garden until the tall shadow covered his view. Looking up, he saw the deep, intense eyes staring down at him.

“Duke Mingyu, I did not expect to see you here this afternoon. Are the negotiation proceedings over?”

The handsome duke smiled. “Good day, Prince Consort,” Mingyu bowed back, “and no, I actually snuck out because it was so tedious. They were going on and on about lichen and vellum. Who needs that stuff, anyways?” He looked at Soonyoung as if asking for an agreement. 

 

“Well, actually,” Soonyoung replied, tentatively, “we make dyes from lichens and the vellums to make manuscripts all the time. Many of the manuscripts are just decorative luxuries for the wealthy, but some of it is used to record very important knowledge.” Making a contemplative grunt, Duke Mingyu tilted his head. 

 

“Huh. I never knew that. How did you know this, fair Prince Consort?”

 

“Well,” confessed Soonyoung, blushing, “my father is a scribe, you see, and I was in training to take over his trade until… until…”  _ Until he decided to marry me off to royalty,  _ Soonyoung wanted to continue. But he just fell silent. 

 

Duke Mingyu looked at him strangely. “Oh,” he finally said, “I didn’t know that. It explains why you’re not soaked in the old ways of the nobility like all the other people in this stifling place.” Soonyoung smiled back at him, amused. It was so strange to hear someone of Duke Mingyu’s status and importance describe the palace in this way. After all, Duke Mingyu himself should very much be entrenched in the culture of the nobility. 

 

A strong voice called out from a distance, and Soonyoung turned to see that it was Prince Dokyeom. He could not hide his gut reaction to seeing his husband, a smile creeping up to his cheekbones. Then, he remembered why he had been dismissed early from the lessons and set loose in this flower garden, surrounded by lush nature and two finest men of royal heritage in this kingdom right now. The Crown Prince grinned from the distance, nearly skipping in his hurried effort to get to the two. 

 

“Sire!” Soonyoung exclaimed, “That is no way for a king to carry himself!”

 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Soonyoung’s face turned red. He was embarrassed. How dare he step over his boundaries and yell at the Prince? What authority does he have to speak in such a way? But Soonyoung began to think, again, of how he is the ultimate stumbling step of Prince Dokyeom’s rightful reign as this kingdom’s ruler. Both the Duke and the Prince looked startled by what he had said. As he felt the heat of their stares, Soonyoung swallowed back a lump in his throat. 

 

“I,I-- I’m so sorry, your Ma--”

 

“No, of course, you are right, my Beloved,” Prince Dokyeom gently cooed at Soonyoung, who was now stammering and on the edge of tears, “Forgive me, it was not right for me to forget decorum when we are outside and in the presence of an outsider.” 

 

“Outsider? Hah,” Duke Mingyu scoffed, playing along with the Prince, “Look at this, Prince Consort. Your husband forgets that I have an arsenal of stories, recounting all the times he hadn’t kept decorum at this palace.” He nudged Soonyoung playfully. Grateful for their efforts, Soonyoung tried to smile though his heart was still troubled. 

 

Still looking at Soonyoung, Prince Dokyeom sighed. “I come bearing bad news. They’ve noticed that Duke Mingyu had been gone for too long, so they sent me to see if you’ve lost your way.”

 

“On my way to relieve myself, you mean?” Duke Mingyu replied, grinning, “Interesting, what these fools think of me.”

 

“Well, I was just going to ask to be excused,” Soonyoung offered, hoping to send the two back to the negotiations, “because there’s an afternoon tea I must attend.”

 

“'Must attend',” Prince Dokyeom repeated, wistfully, “Alas, if there wasn’t a damned thing in this palace that we “must attend”-- Why, I beg your pardon, Prince Consort. I did not mean to use such crass words in front of you. It must be the Duke rubbing off on me.” They all laughed at this joke and parted ways. 

 

But Soonyoung had to first quiet down his heart beating at seeing the Prince in such lax mood and how delightfully dangerous it felt. 

 

Dragging himself over to the tea, Soonyoung went right up next to Cheonga and secretly gave her hand a squeeze to let her know that it was not her fault he had gotten so upset before. She smiled back at him and ushered him to take place at the table. The ladies had reserved a seat at the center for Soonyoung, the seat that used to belong to Lady Margaret. He took his seat and craned his neck to see if Lady Margaret was back, as the King had promised. In a relief, he spotted her towards the very corner of the table, looking fearfully around herself. No one was speaking to her, treating her like she was invisible. 

 

All the other ladies began to chatter at Soonyoung, offering him different bites that they (or rather, their servants) had prepared. That is, all but the red currant scones. 

 

“Prince Consort, please do tell. Is the Crown Prince as good of a husband as he appears when he holds your hand in public?”

 

“Well,” Soonyoung spoke, thinking, “he is very kind.”

 

“Very kind!” The women chimed together.

 

“And thoughtful.”

 

“And thoughtful!”

 

“Very gentle.”

 

“Gentle!”

 

Soonyoung felt himself fold inwards at every compliment he spoke of the Crown Prince, unsure if it was from the embarrassment of boasting about a husband he never deserved or the sheer fright of all the ladies of the court batting their eyelashes and parroting what Soonyoung was saying. The cloying saccharine tone of their voices made Soonyoung clam up like his mouth was full of sticky sweets, much to the disappointment of the crowd. 

 

“Ah, and I can see why the Crown Prince has taken a liking to you, Prince Consort,” Lady Ella crooned, “You’re very much like him, quite reserved in word and very handsome!”

 

_ Me, reserved? Handsome?  _ Soonyoung questioned in his mind. But he just went back to eating. Soonyoung picked up the red currant scone, put a healthy dollop of cream on it, and bit into it. 

 

“Oh, my word! Who made these red currant scones?”

 

The entire table fell silent at Soonyoung’s inquiry. There was a tense and painful pause, almost palpable enough to cut with a knife. And then, a timid voice squeaked from the corner. 

 

“I did, sire.”

 

Lady Margaret looked almost petrified, looking at Soonyoung with large sunken eyes. Soonyoung immediately felt pity for her, as he could now tell that she had probably not been eating or sleeping well. The other ladies looked at her, like vultures waiting for a wounded animal. They were so mean, ostracizing her completely when they had, just a while ago, been at her beck and call. Soonyoung couldn’t stand it, even though Lady Margaret had done the same thing to him. 

 

“Oh, they’re so wonderful, Lady Margaret,” Soonyoung proclaimed, taking another bite for an effect, “Absolutely scrumptious. I’ve never seen red currants being baked into cakes like this. Oh, and I must say, that blue dress you have on also looks so lovely.”

 

To say that Lady Margaret looked shocked as Soonyoung smiled at her would be an understatement. The whole table seemed to be reeling, trying to recover from Soonyoung’s gesture. Soonyoung ignored their stares. 

 

“The color! It looks just like a robin’s egg, but so silky. But of course, I’m sure all the dresses look great on your pretty figure, Lady Margaret.”

 

“Th-thank you, Prince Consort…” Lady Margaret, now looking like she’s on the verge of crying, barely whispered out. 

 

Lady Han, who was sitting a bit across from Lady Margaret-- she, too, had been sitting on the outer edge of the table for a while, as a result of her husband’s tiny stature keeping him from being a strong contender for the throne and herself being a merchant’s daughter instead of being of noble origin-- chirped up with a cheerful voice. “Yes, Lady Margaret, that dress is simply stunning. Is it new?” 

 

And with that, the whole table thawed, the lively chatter springing back up again, and all of the ladies brought back into the fold of vain and empty conversations. 

 

After turning down countless offers of more tea and cakes, Soonyoung finally greeted farewell to all the ladies and went to retire to his chambers for a bit before supper. He looked down at his stomach-- full of very delicious and rich desserts-- and sighed, wondering if the table for supper would be, again, filled with rich food since the guests from Myung were still here. At this rate, Soonyoung thought, he may have to be rolled up and down the stairs soon. He sighed again and turned to see Cheonga beaming at him. 

 

“What?” Soonyoung asked, “you noticed my belly, too? Of course, now it’s become hard to miss it.”

 

Cheonga giggled. “Oh, sire, it’s good for you to look a bit plump than all bones like you had been when you refused to eat before. And no, I’m not smiling at that.”

 

Soonyoung looked at her, puzzled. Seeing this, Cheonga shook her head and giggled again. 

 

“I think you just may be more than equipped enough to be a true mother to this kingdom.”

 

\---

 

“Prince Consort, will I have to hold both of your hand for you to stop?”

 

Soonyoung looked up at the Crown Prince, guilty. The sleeves for the dress robe that he had been given to wear were so ornate and a bit frayed, he couldn’t help himself from picking at it. 

 

“Or, perhaps, you’d prefer it if I embraced you the entire way through the night.”

 

“Sire!”

 

“I am half serious, my Beloved, I may have to if you continue to pick at it.” Prince Dokyeom smiled, his eyes bending into an arch more glorious than a rainbow. Or, so Soonyoung imagines from the things he had read about these rainbows. 

 

“N-no, my lord, I will stop.” Though he felt foreign and uncomfortable having been dressed up like a doll for a mere meal, Soonyoung felt the need to oblige. At least the dress robe was tied tight so that he would not trip in the swathe of cloth or stuff himself embarrassingly full. 

 

The page announced the couple, and Soonyoung felt relieved that most were not already seated and staring at their direction. They went to go bow to the King, and then walked over to the side, where Duke Mingyu was. 

 

“Oh, wow,” Duke Mingyu blurted out when he turned around and saw them, “Prince Consort!”

 

“And greetings to you, too, my dear cousin,” Prince Dokyeom said frostily. At this, the duke blushed. 

 

“No, I mean… well, I guess you look decent, too, my cousin.”

 

“You look fine yourself. I suppose you took a nap after retiring from the meeting? After all, you were yawning at about every two sentences, I almost believed it was midnight.”

 

Soonyoung couldn’t help but laugh at the Prince’s jab at Duke Mingyu, and had to cover his mouth in surprise. Luckily, the tall duke did not seem offended at his laughter. The cousins merely shook hands and then pulled each other into a hug that seemed playfully threatening. 

 

“Well,” Duke Mingyu noted after they broke apart, “that’s your mother’s old dress, isn’t it? I recognize it. Our family patterns.”

 

The jolly mood sobered up instantly, so much so that Soonyoung looked up at the other two in surprise. The Crown Prince’s grip had tightened on Soonyoung’s hand, but Soonyoung did not dare to move. Duke Mingyu and Prince Dokyeom stared at each other, exchanging meanings in glances Soonyoung did not understand. This was only the second time that Soonyoung had heard of the Prince’s mother being mentioned, and really, the only time anyone had referred to her in front of the Prince. 

 

“Yes,” finally whispered the Crown Prince, almost inaudibly, “it is.”

 

The long pauses were almost stifling. 

 

Duke Mingyu shrugged. “It suits you well,” he turned again to Soonyoung, smiling, “a pity Prince Dokyeom had already snagged you. I’m sure all the village girls were heartbroken when you were betrothed to him.”

 

_ Absolutely not,  _ Soonyoung wanted to snicker at the notion. But he settled for a small bow and a thank-you. 

 

They were all called to be seated for the meal again, so Prince Dokyeom hurriedly pull them to the proper seats. Seeing how tense the Prince still was, Soonyoung squeezed the Prince’s knee under the tablecloth while the King spoke to the hall. Prince Dokyeom look down, bewildered, and then broke into a soft smile. 

 

“I swear,” he whispered, leaning into Soonyoung’s ears, “you and Duke Mingyu will have me turn back into a rambunctious teenage boy.”

 

The tables were loaded with delicious food, yet once again, but today, Soonyoung took care not to stuff himself full. Firstly, Cheonga had strapped him into the robe extremely tightly. But secondly, he could not stop being reminded of what Duke Mingyu had said. Since the robe had belonged to the Prince’s mother, he assumed that Prince Dokyeom had specifically requested that Soonyoung be dressed in it. For an old garment, it was extremely well preserved. The value of the dress robe weighed heavily on Soonyoung. It was clearly a well-cherished possession of the Prince. Soonyoung wondered if he was fit to wear such a precious thing. Therefore, he was extra careful about not getting even a drop of water on the robe. 

 

Before he knew it, the meal was winding down. All of the people, except for himself, ate and drank merrily. In fact, the King seemed to have been more indulgent with the ale than usual. The tip of his nose was red, his eyes losing their usual sharp focus. 

 

Then, suddenly, Duke Mingyu shot up from his seat and started laughing. Some had noticed, breaking away from their side conversations to stare at the tall man, whose laughter was now dying down. He raised his head and glared towards the King. 

 

“Your Majesty,” Duke Mingyu half-shouted, half-snarled, evidently very full of wine, “look at the Prince Consort’s dress robe. Isn’t it beautiful?” The compliment was so sudden and random, Soonyoung blushed. He wanted to crawl into a corner or smack Duke Mingyu to implore him to be quiet, or both. But looking up Soonyoung saw that the King was glaring at Duke Mingyu now, a dark ferocity on his face. 

 

Prince Dokyeom snapped up. “Duke Mingyu, you had too much wine--”

 

“Look! A pity he could not bear a grandson for you as you want.”

 

“Duke Mingyu,” the King rumbled, deep from his chest, “Perhaps instead of worrying about my son, you ought to focus on continuing your own bloodline.”

 

“Blood!” Duke Mingyu exclaimed, laughing bitterly, “Ah, that damned blood. Well, you of all people should like this blood to end with me.” 

 

“Mingyu!” Prince Dokyeom exploded in anger, but the duke continued. 

 

“Ah, too bad your favorite son, our dear Crown Prince is, in fact, of the same blood. Look, I tell you, look at the Prince Consort. Look at what he’s wearing. Do you see it? Do you recognize it? Or did you forget…? Forget about her?”

 

“Duke Mingyu, I will not tolerate being slandered in my own court--”

 

“Your Majesty, how could you say you would not tolerate the innocent ramblings of an impetulant 22-year-old child like me and yet, you allowed them to kill her in cold bloo--”

 

“ENOUGH!” the Crown Prince boomed, seething in more anger and power than Soonyoung had ever imagined he could. At Prince Dokyeom’s word, both Duke Mingyu and the King fell silent. The whole hall was sobered up. Soonyoung felt a chill run up his spine. After a big heave of air, Prince Dokyeom pulled Soonyoung up rather violently. 

 

“It must be late for such dark thoughts to be spoken out loud,” the Prince announced loudly, “so I will retire to my chamber. Come, Duke Mingyu, for you’ve had much to drink, too.” And at that, Duke Mingyu wordlessly stumbled over to follow the Prince and Soonyoung out of the hall. 

 

Soonyoung was absolutely bewildered. 

 

“Brother, I’m sorry--”

 

“Mingyu, go. Go to sleep. And let us never speak of this again.”

 

“But S--”

 

“By gods!” Prince Dokyeom raised his voice, his hand again clenching around Soonyoung’s, “Please, Mingyu. If you have any compassion left for me. Retire to your chamber now, I beg you. I will speak with Father tomorrow morning, and see to it so that no harm befalls on either of you.”

 

Looking crushed, like a dog that knows it had done wrong, Duke Mingyu bowed wordlessly to Soonyoung and disappeared into a dark hallway. 

 

Still in shock, Soonyoung followed his husband to the Prince’s own chamber. Prince Dokyeom opened and slammed the door shut. He huffed roughly a few times before finally slowing down and catching his breath. Clutching his chest, he turned to Soonyoung. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Prince Dokyeom finally said, after a long pause, “that you had to… be there for all of that.”

 

Soonyoung was not content. 

 

“Sire, if you will,” he pressed on, observing Price Dokyeom’s darkened eyes, “please tell me what Duke Mingyu meant.”

 

He needed to know.

 

It felt like an interminable silence, but Soonyoung did not want to budge. He could not, seeing how angry and upset the Prince was. The Prince, now tired and visibly weary, sunk into the foot of his bed, rested his head in his hands, and sighed deeply. 

 

“My mother,” the Prince finally relented, “was a daughter of the tribal chief of the Min people. They were the people native to the northern part of our kingdom, you see, and during her time, the tribe was still quite powerful and active politically. So she was married to my father as a way to bolster that alliance. But at the same time, her sister-- that is, my aunt, Mingyu’s mother-- was married off to the Duke of Kronos, who was a part of the Myung Empire. 

 

It wasn’t much of a problem at first. Our kingdom believed that this would help our relationship with the Myung, at least. When my father had to… to fight to rise in succession, the Min people added to his power, fighting alongside him. 

 

But as time went on, there were rumors starting to grow. At that time, there was a famine and lack of food in the land, so we had to borrow grain and other foods from the Myung empire. And all of those shipments passed through the area where the northern Min tribe controlled. There was never enough in those shipments, and the people at the capital began to accuse the northern tribes of stealing and reselling the food for profit. The anger rose high, so much so that Mingyu, who had been staying with us since my dear aunt passed from an illness, had to be sent back to Kronos in secret.

 

And as the famine grew harsher, the accusations against the Min people rose. At first, we began sending troops into their land. And then, we began to round them up, like they were captives of enemy lands. And then…”

 

Soonyoung’s heart sank as he saw the trembling Prince shut his eyes closed, as if the haunting vision was right in front of his eyes. 

 

“The court advisors had their way, and my father ordered that all of the Min tribe be killed. Men, women, children. All of them.”

 

“No,” Soonyoung whispered, his skin crawling like tiny little spiders were being set loose on his arms.

 

“My mother protested, of course,” Prince Dokyeom continued, tears still in his eyes, “she even went as far to lock herself up and starve in order to persuade Father not to carry this order out. But those devilish court officials had their way with him because he was still a new king and not yet strong. And eventually, they convinced everyone to get rid of her, since she was causing so much trouble for them. So Father…”

 

“Oh, sire.”

 

Heart breaking over hearing this tale, Soonyoung wrapped his arms tightly around the Prince, whose tears were streaming down uncontrollably. He held Prince Dokyeom and patted his back, wishing that he could take away the pain and sorrow that the Prince held in his heart, all this time. His eyes began to tear up, too, for all of their fate. 

 

When the Prince’s sobs had quieted down a bit, Soonyoung released him from the embrace and wiped the tears away with a handkerchief he had hidden in his bosom before. Seeing the Prince so filled with sadness and tears moved something within Soonyoung. He wanted to care for the Prince, to make it feel better.

 

So he did the only thing that came to his mind to do.

 

Pulling the Prince in, Soonyoung closed his eyes at the sensation of their lips meeting together. 

 

It was so different from their first kiss. Slow, unhurried. It was born not of desire but of comfort. It was Soonyoung’s way of saying he was so sorry that this all happened to the young Prince, that he cared for the burden that Prince Dokyeom was carrying, that he wished there was something he could do to fix all of this. A few lax presses into the Prince’s mouth. And, as if they had rehearsed it, Prince Dokyeom and Soonyoung both pushed into the kiss. Still soft, still slow. The Prince’s breathing slowed and they became warmer, just safe and still in the presence of each other. 

 

They went into the night, sharing this long conversation without speaking words. 

 

_________

 

Opening his eyes, Soonyoung could tell from the ornate ceiling and the warmth of the body next to him that he did not sleep in his own bed last night. 

 

He reveled in the feeling of flesh against his own flesh, the quiet sound of the Prince breathing. In a haze, he remembered tugging off the tightly-bound dress robe and the Prince whispering assurances as he reluctantly showed his body to his husband, who was already bare. They had only kissed and cried together, holding each other tightly as if that would ward off all of the bad memories of the past. But it felt more intimate than being physically intimate with each other. 

 

This scared Soonyoung.

 

He did not know whether he should confess to the Prince about the truth. In his head, he knew that he should. At least, a good thing to do for someone who had so much pain and betrayal in their life already would be to be truthful before this went on further. But in the darkest part of Soonyoung’s heart, he did not want to relinquish Prince Dokyeom. This closeness, the beauty of waking up together-- Soonyoung wanted it for himself. He knew it was selfish to feel so, but it was the truth. 

 

_ Three years,  _ Soonyoung thought,  _ if in just three years, I could find the person who really belonged with him…  _ But every time he thought about it, a new jealousy sprouted in his heart, taking root and causing pain at the vision of the Prince being happy with someone else. And the guilt that followed immediately after was just as painful. 

 

He would not have the Prince’s blood on his hand. 

 

Hearing the Prince stir next to him, Soonyoung made up his mind. Pushing his head close into the chest of the Prince, Soonyoung waited patiently until the Prince finally woke up fully, enough to brush his luxuriously long, slender fingers through Soonyoung’s hair. 

 

“Sire... I wish to go visit my father’s house.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapter is so long... I thought about breaking it up, but one part felt too short. Trying to get as much of this fic done as possible while I have time. Thank you guys all for reading it & giving me such lovely comments.


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